Highway guard



April 1943- A. E. BRICKMAN 2,317,249

HIGHWAY GUARD Filed May 20, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Alan E. Brie/(man WW 5. m his Xhforne) April 20, 1943- A. E. BRICKMAN 2,317,249

' HIGHWAY GUARD Filed May 20, 1942, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mW/MW INVENTOR b 4/62}? E. Br/c/fmn g7 I e-A OZu/ a his Affor'ney Patented Apr. 20, 1943 HIGHWAY GUARD Alan E. Brickman, Monongahela, Pa., assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 20, 1942, Serial No. 443,786

5 Claims.

This invention relates to highway guards, and particularly to an improved means or device for supporting highway guard cables.

Heretofore the means or devices for supporting a plurality of guard cables along highways generally were designed so that all of the cables were disposed in substantially a vertical plane. Accordingly, when a vehicle collided with the guard it would strike all of the guard cables simultaneously, thereby oftentimes resulting in considerable damage to the vehicle and the guard cables. Also, the guard cables usually were securely attached to the mounting means or device so as to prevent movement of the cables relative thereto. In such case, a vehicle colliding with the guard cables would oftentimes tear the cable-supporting device from its mounted position, thereby damaging the highway guard for a considerable distance to either side of the point of collision. This resulted in the necessity of expensive repairs and the replacement of the guard cable supporting means.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved means or device for supporting a plurality of highway guard cables wherein the center'cable or cables are held thereby at a point forwardly of the remaining cables positioned thereabove and therebelow so that vehicles colliding with the highway guard will strike first the center guard cable or cables whereby the colliding vehicle forces will be progressively absorbed by the guard cables.

It is another object or" the invention to provide an improved means or device for supporting a plurality of highway guard cables wherein the cables are permitted to move relative to the supporting device and to each other thereby provid ing a more flexible guard rail.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved means or device for supporting a plurality of highway guard cables which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and maintenance, and at the same time, one which is emcient and eiiective in its use.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved means or device for supporting a plurality of highway guard cables which consists of a minimum number of parts and one which can be easily and quickly assembled.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an improved means or device for supporting a plurality of highway guard cables which is resilient thereby permitting the guard cables to yield when vehicles collide therewith.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved'means or device for supporting a plurality of guard cables wherein the means for supporting at least one of the guard cables covered by said device is yieldable within described limits whereby a colliding vehicle will be prevented from contacting directly the post or other supporting means.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent during the course of the following specification and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings there are shown for the purpose of illustration, several embodiments which my invention may assume in practice.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the preferred form of the improved device of my invention for supporting highway guard cables showing the same mounted in position on a guard post;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the member for holding the cables in position on the mounting member as shown in Figs. 1 and 2';

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the mounting member; I

Fig. 5 is a; sectional View taken on line V-V of Fig. 2; Y

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of a modified device for supporting highway guard cables made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational View thereof;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the member for holding the cables in position on the mounting member similar to Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a side elevational View of the modified mounting member; and

Fig. 10 is a top view of the modified construction as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring more particularly to the drawings. the improved highway guard cable supporting device of the preferred form of my invention as shown in Figs. 1 through 5 of the drawings, comprises a body member 2 preferably made of a spring steel plate which is bent so as to form preferably substantially an elliptical-shaped mounting member. The plate or body member is formed so as to provide a vertically extending outer face portion 3 having a centrally arranged bellied portion l; that is, the center portion of the. outer face portion 3 extends outwardly beyond the remaining portions thereof. The ends of the plate member preferably overlap each other as at 5 on the inner side thereof and there is arranged through the overlapping ends aligned holes which are adapted to receive a bolt 6 for attaching the body member to a guard post P.

There is provided a cable clamping member I which is also preferably made from a steel plate. The plate I is so formed so as to conform to the outer face portion 3 of the body member 2 upon which it is adapted to be disposed. There is formed in the clamping plate member 1 a plurality of spaced apart substantially U-shaped notches 8; namely, three in the present instance, in which the guard cables C are adapted to be disposed in a. manner hereinafter to be described.

Between each of the notches 8 there is carried by the plate member I, a plurality of inwardly ex tending wing portions 9. At each end of the plate member 1 on the outer sides of the outer most notched portions 8, there is arranged therethrough a hole which is in alignment with similar holes arranged through the face portion 3 of the body memberZ. There is adapted to be arranged through the respective holes in the plate member 1 and the body member 2, a pair of bolts I0 for securely holding the clamping plate member I in engagement with the body member.

The cable-supporting device of my invention 7 is assembled on a highway guard post in the following manner:

The body member 2 is first assembled on the post by inserting the bolt 6 through the holes in the overlapped ends of the plate or body member 2 and a hole through the post P. The guard cables C are then positioned along the outer side of the body member 2 so that the cables are disposed next to the outer face portion 3 thereof. The clamping plate member 1 is then arranged over the outer face portion 3 so that the guard cables 1 are disposed in the notches 8 thereof. By assembling the plate I in such manner it will be seen that the wing portions 9 extend inwardly along the sides of the outer face portion 3 of the body member. The wing portions 9 not only, act as a deflecting shield but also lend depth to the cable notches 8, thereby eliminating any change of movement of the cables from their assembled positions in the notches and the escapement of the cables therefrom. The bolts ID at the top and bottom of the supporting device are then inserted through the holes in the plate member I and the body member 2 and are tightened so as to hold the clamping member 1 in position against the outer face portion 3 of the body member 2. It will be understood that the notches 8 are sufficiently large so as to permit relatively free movement of the guard cable therewithin after the clamping plate member I has been secured to the body member. By providing such an arrangement it will be seen that the guard cables C are permitted to move relative to the supporting device and to each other.

In Figs. 6 through 10 of the drawings there is shown a modified form of a highway guard supporting device made inaccordance with the teachings of my invention. In this construction instead of providing an elliptical-shaped resilient plate body or mounting member as in the preferred construction, there is provided a body member 12 having substantially an I-shaped cross section. As before, the body member is adapted to be attachedto the post P by means of a bolt I3. The outer flange ll of the I-shaped body member I2 is provided with an outer face portion l5 against which the cables C are adapted to be disposed. The outer face portion i5 is preferably bellied centrally thereof as at I5a so that the central portion thereof extends outwardly beyond the remaining portions thereof in a manner similar to that in the preferred form.

The body member I! is formed preferably from a conventional I-beam section. To form the bellied portion l5a the I-beam is slotted longitudinally thereof at a point adjacent one of the outer flanges M. The flange is then bent outwardly or extended to a position as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings so as to provide a sub- 7 7 I50. in the outer flange M. It will then be seen that the central or bellied. portion of this flange is spaced from the remaining portion of the I-beam and that the portion adjacent each end of the flange remains undisturbed and connected to the remaining portion of the I-beam section. It will be understood that the bellied portion of the flange I4 is yieldable and resilient to a certain degree relative to the remaining portion of the beam section, thereby providing a yieldable mounting for the center cable thereagainst.

On each end of the outer face portion I 5 of the flange there is provided preferably a lip I5b which is adapted to cooperate with the outer notches H to hold the outer cables in position as shown in Fig. 7. There is provided a clamping plate member l6, similar to the plate I in the preferred construction, having spaced apart substantially U-shaped notches ll formed therein for receiving the guard cables. There is also provided similar wing portions l8 arranged between the notches ll. The plate IS in this construction is adapted to be attached to the outer face I5 of the flange IA of the body member preferably by means of a pair of bolts l9 which are preferably arranged on the inner side of the outermost notches H.

In both the preferred and modified construe? tions it will be understood that the center cable and its corresponding notch in the clamping plate member are arranged directly opposite the bellied portion in the outer face portion of the body member; that is, the center guard cable is disposed at a point forwardly of the remaining guard cables arranged to either side thereof. By

. providing such a construction it will be seen that when vehicles collide with the guard cable they will strike first the center guard cable or the cables positioned against the bellied portion of the body member. As a resultit will be seen that colliding vehicle forces will be progressively absorbed by the guard cables; that is, if the force of a colliding vehicle is great enough it will first strike the center cable and thencontinue on and strike the cables positioned rearwardly and to either side thereof.

It will be seen that when a vehicle collides with the guard cables so as to tend to move the same out of alignment the guard cables will move relative to each other and to the body member or supporting device through the notches 8 in the clamping plate member I, thereby eliminating any danger of the mounting members from being displaced from their position on the posts. It will be understood that it is the main purpose of the wing portions 9 and l8 which extend inwardly along the sides of the body member to deflect the colliding vehicle therefrom so as to avoid tearing the mounting members from the posts.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention and a modification thereof, it will be understood that these embodiments are merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for supporting a plurality of highway guard cables comprising a body member having a vertically extending outer face portion against which guard cables are adapted to be disposed with the central portion of said outer face portion extending outwardly beyond the remaining portions thereof, a plate-like member conforming to the shape of said outer face portion, said plate-like member having a plurality of spaced apart substantially U-shaped notches arranged therein, said plate-like member adapted to hold the guard cables against the outer face portion of said body member with the guard cables adapted to be disposed in said notches, at least one of said notches being positioned opposite the outwardly extending central portion of said outer face portion, and means for holding said plate-like member in engagement with the outer face portion of said body member.

2. A device for supporting a plurality of highway guard cables as defined in claim 1 including a plurality of inwardly extending wing portions carried by the plate-like member on each side thereof, said wing portions disposed between the notches of said plate-like member and extending inwardly along the sides of the outer face portion of the body member.

3. A device for supporting a plurality of highway guard cables comprising a spring plate body member having an outer face portion, said plate member formed so as to provide a bellied portion centrally of said outer face portion against which guard cables are adapted to be disposed, a platelike member conforming to the shape of said outer face portion having a plurality of spaced apart substantially U-shaped notches arranged therein, and means for holding said plate-like member in engagement with the outer face portion of said body member, said plate-like member adapted. to hold the guard cables against the outer face portion of said body member with the guard cables adapted to be disposed in said notches, at least one of said notches being positioned opposite the bellied portion of said outer face portion so that vehicles colliding with the guard cables will strike first the guard cable positioned against the bellied portion whereby the colliding vehicle forces will be progressively absorbed.

4. A device for supporting a plurality of highway guard cables as defined in claim 3 including a plurality of inwardly extending wing portions carried by the plate-like member on each side thereof, said wing portions disposed between the notches of said plate-like member and extending inwardly along the sides of the outer face portion of said plate-like member.

5. A device for supporting a plurality of highway guard cables comprising a body member having substantially an I-shaped cross section, one of the flanges of said body member having a bellied portion arranged therein centrally thereof and adapted to act as an outer face portion against which guard cables are adapted to be disposed, a plate-like member conforming to the shape of the outer face portion of said flange, said plate-like member having a plurality of spaced apart substantially U-shaped notches arranged therein, said plate-like member adapted to hold the guard cables against the outer face portion of said body member with the guard cables adapted to be disposed in said notches, at least one of said notches being positioned opposite the bellied portion of said outer face portion,

and means for holding said plate-like member in engagement with the outer face portion of said flange.

ALAN E. BRICKMAN. 

